Hostile Environments and Emergency First Aid (HEFAT®)

Organisations operating in volatile areas have become increasingly aware of their legal liabilities and responsibilities for duty of care of those working for them either as employees or volunteers. They recognise that hostile environments training is an obligation, not an option.

Centurion's Hostile Environments and Emergency First Aid Training (HEFAT®) course is designed specifically for companies and individuals that operate world wide, particularly in areas where there may be concerns for personal health or safety. It has proved extremely effective for "frontline" organisations, e.g. the media, NGOs, aid agencies, etc. but can equally be applied to the work of a range of other companies working in volatile areas.

The 1-week course addresses a range of threats to health and safety, from such factors as diseases, health and hygiene, proliferation of weapons, known use of land mines, etc. The aim is to teach people how to identify and correctly assess risks to safety and security while living and working in areas that may be volatile, for such reasons as political unrest, harsh climatic conditions or unfriendly governments or regimes.

Centurion has developed a range of training modules that convey a greater general awareness of risks to safety and security.

Examples include ballistics awareness, how to react to a hostage taking, some golden rules on health and hygiene in remote areas, and the pros and cons of wearing personal protective equipment.

Most of our media, charity, and humanitarian agency clients opt for this course.

Hostile Environment elements covered include hostage abduction and enduring captivity, personal security, mines and booby traps, post-traumatic stress disorder, weapons and ballistics awareness, civil disturbances, vehicle checkpoints and natural disasters.

Into these and many other elements we blend a comprehensive list of emergency first aid subjects, making the entire week a cumulative learning experience with a great deal of hands-on practical work that assumes definitive care is not immediately available.

These courses run nearly every week in the United Kingdom and once a month in the United States. Accommodation from Monday night to Thursday night, all meals and refreshments throughout the week, use of training aids, etc. are included.

At least 68 per cent of our training takes place outdoors. Our instructors role-play to recreate life-threatening scenarios, many of which have actually happened to media and aid workers. This helps to make the training as relevant and interesting as possible.

We also use theatrical pyrotechnics to simulate such things as mortar fire, machine gun crossfire, mines and booby traps, etc. (all kept at a safe distance from the delegates) to simulate a hostile environment.

First aid on the HEFAT® course specialises in teaching life-saving skills where participants may have to deal with an emergency situation far from any medical assistance.

We show participants how to assess injuries correctly and give on-the-spot life-saving first aid in any environment at home or abroad. The course assumes that medical packs may not be readily accessible, and shows participants how to use whatever they are wearing or carrying to treat casualties, and how to build emergency stretchers to evacuate casualties from danger.

The whole HEFAT® course or individual subjects within it can be tailored to specific assignments, geographical areas to be visited, climatic conditions that may be encountered or known difficulties within a region. This may be particularly useful for organisations that operate in one particular part of the world and who may need to arrange an urgent short course either in the UK or on-site in other parts of the world.

After successful completion of the HEFAT® course, candidates receive a certificate valid for three years, before expiry of which we offer refresher courses.